


Temperance

by WhatButAVillain



Series: The Seven Virtues of Heaven [4]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 05:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20670164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatButAVillain/pseuds/WhatButAVillain
Summary: After the events of Chastity and Humility, Michael wanders London and has several uncomfortable conversations.





	Temperance

Michael had been wandering the city of London through the night and the next day after the discovery of Charity and Kindness in the traitors. She wandered out of the Celestial Tower and she wandered through the parks and she wandered over the river-several times. Michael wandered and as she wandered she wondered.

She is Temperance, has been Temperance since shortly after the beginning. She is balance between self and other, justice and moderation. She has always known that there were two sides to every issue but in this she is blinded. When Gabriel and Uriel had insisted that they had to destroy Aziraphale and Crowley, Michael had understood their arguments. For the Good of Heaven they must be made examples of. Michael understood. She had her own contact in Hell but Aziraphale’s connection to the demon was... disturbing. The fact that he had chosen the demon over them was the most disturbing. He had lied to them and succumbed to temptation. He sought out the demon for more than simple work business. He was tempted and he succumbed. But he had not Fallen. Yet. Could Heaven stand to lose another angel to Hell? What would that do to morale? She sighed as she sat on the curb in front of the Celestial Tower. 

“Michael?” Raphael interrupted her musings.

“Raphael.” Michael replied looking up at her brother. 

“What are you doing here?” Raphael asked gently.

“My feet carried me here. I’ve been reminiscing. How did I lose my balance so horribly, Raphael? I used to know better.” She admitted. “I was just… it seemed the right thing to do. We had an angel that needed to be dealt with and they had a demon to be destroyed. They asked for Holy Water and the balance must be maintained.”

“Not like that, Michael.” Raphael responded quietly. 

“No. Not like that.” Her gaze slid from Raphael’s to the ground she still sat upon. “I feel lost, Brother.” 

Raphael stepped up next to her and sat. His arms reached out to wrap around her. “Do you remember the day you became Temperence?” He asked her gently.

“Yes.” She nodded her head against his shoulder. “You were a bright beacon that day.” She admitted. “I didn’t know what was happening to me.”

“You were a Cherub before, were you not?” Raphael asked.

“I was, and I fought against the rebels and did my duty gladly. It was after the war though. The others were still angry at them and all I could think was what could have brought them to that point. I tried to understand but there was no one to ask. They had all been cast out.” She paused. “I remember the others condemning them and spouting hatred and I just couldn’t bring myself to do the same. But neither could I weep for them like the others.” 

“You tempered yourself, your emotions and your actions. You are Temperance, Michael. You are. You just lost sight of what was important.”

“Balance is important and they disrupted the balance.” She protested. “But I see that we were wrong to take their punishment into our own hands.”

“How did they disrupt the balance, Michael? They may have been working together but we do not know why or to what ends.” Raphael sighed and put distance between the two once more to look into Michael's face. 

“They murdered a Duke of Hell. Or the demon did. And they created a new side to our conflict. They don’t hold themselves to either side anymore. There cannot be balance between three sides.”

“Of course there can be. Three is much more stable than two, Michael. It really is.” Raphael said earnestly. “Please, Michael. Do you realize what is at stake here? You could Fall for this. If you keep this anger in your heart. You tried to murder another angel and a demon. Our brothers.”

“I hadn’t considered that,” Michael admitted her eyes wide and voice trembling. 

“Azriel and I fear for you three and for Sandalphon. You raised arms against your brother, Michael. I saw the Earth Observation files too. And Heaven’s surveillance footage of the… the execution. I have no other words for it.” Raphael told her. “Please, Michael, try to temper your emotions with reason. We cannot judge them. That is not our place. If the Earth was to be destroyed then She would have said something.”

“It is written,” She started.

“By whom, Michael?” He interrupted. “Who wrote it? She gave us orders, Sister. And it seems everyone but those two have forgotten them.” 

“What orders?” 

“Perhaps that is what you need to search for down here.” Raphael said. 

“I am sorry, Raphael. I tried to keep the balance and I failed.” 

“You lost sight of yourself, Michael. That is all. I do not know if Charity and Kindness will forgive you but you were never in my bad graces. This is for your own good, Sister. Take this time to find your balance again.” Raphael said as he stood up and brought her with him. 

“I will.” Michael said watching him enter the Celestial Tower and move to the escalators moving up. Turning away, Michael made her way resolutely away from the Tower and out into the city. 

Remembering the activities that she had seen Aziraphale and the demon doing together she passed back to one of the parks she had wandered through and sat at the pond watching the stars come out on the water. She remembered the cries and shouts in Heaven at the loss of their brethren and wondered that one could still have enough divinity to be Virtue.

She had not judged the demons as harshly as her fellows. She worked closely with them for Her sake, back channels and the sharing of information when appropriate. Would the others call her a traitor too? She had after all come to an accord with her counterpart in Hell. Until he was destroyed by Kindness. If Aziraphale deserved Hellfire than shouldn’t she as well? It stung, the recognition of her own failings. She tried so hard for balance, walking a tightrope between her emotions and her duty at all times. That she finally felt she had found them in accord with each other she acted without hesitation. And she was wrong. 

The moon was high in the sky when she felt the telltale signs of other angels moving towards her. She looked up from her quiet contemplation of the still waters to see Uriel and Gabriel walking towards her from the street. Slowly they moved towards her and joined her on the bench. “Uriel. Gabriel.” She greeted. 

“Michael.” Uriel nodded to her. “What are you doing?” 

“Trying to remember.” Michael admitted quietly.

“Remember what?” Gabriel asked.

“Why I am Temperance. I remember the others raging and crying after the humans were kicked out, the memories of our Brethren stirred to frenzy once again. I remember some of the angels arguing amongst themselves. I was afraid for them, that we would have another rebellion on our hands, and going down to separate them and to listen to their arguments. I heard both sides and then tried to reconcile them one to another. Then I felt the heat. It was like being set on fire. I heard screaming again and spread my wings and lifted into the ether. I heard more screaming and crying and felt such power coming from the distance. I flew to it and found Raphael. He was a comfort. He explained what was happening to me and as the heat died down, I saw the looks of awe in everyone’s eyes. I couldn’t bear it.”

“I remember. You came down blazing in shining armor. The rest of us were crying and some were screaming in rage but you were calm. Like a rock in the raging sea. The waves of grief crashed against you but you were unmoved.” Uriel told her. “I remember thinking that you were so poised. I wanted to be like that too.” 

“I don’t feel composed.” Michael admitted. “I used to but no longer.”

“They have made you doubt yourself!” Gabriel spit out. “You are Temperance, Michael, you have always been in balance. Don’t let them make you forget that. Those traitors aren’t worth this self-doubt.”

“Gabriel.” Michael said. “Please control your temper. I fear for us. Raphael and Azriel were right. It was not our place to judge Aziraphale.”

“Of course it is. The traitor deserves to be punished.” Gabriel says and Uriel is silent.

“Do you know I have back channels into Hell, Gabriel?” Michael asked instead of answering.

“What?” Gabriel exhales deflated for the moment.

“I have back channels into Hell. Or I did. After discussing the Earth Observation files with you, I called Hell and told them what I had found. Balance, Gabriel, I thought I was keeping the balance. It got a Duke of Hell killed.”

Uriel just watches the two of them for a moment, Michael calmly stating her own traitorous dealings and Gabriel sputtering in hate fueled rage. 

“Why, Michael?” Uriel finally asked. 

“Balance. And because I wanted to know. I wanted to know why they betrayed Her, why they rebelled. I never got an answer.” Michael admitted truthfully. “I could never hate our siblings, Gabriel. Not like you do. And I fear for you. As Azriel and Raphael fear for us.”

“Fear?” Uriel questioned.

“That we will Fall for our actions and our thoughts.” Michael said meeting Uriel’s eyes. “Hate is not what angels were built for and yet it is there strongly in your heart, Gabriel.” She added looking over to Gabriel sitting between her and Uriel.

Uriel’s eyes widen at the thought. “It would be a mess to lose the Archangels.” They say. “We can’t do that to the host.”

“No one is Falling.” Gabriel bit out. 

“You can’t make that promise Gabriel only God has the right to cast out an angel. And we forgot that. Aziraphale has not Fallen either. She does not hold his crimes against him, if She considers them crimes at all.” Michael insists. 

Uriel sighs. “Yes. She is right, Gabriel. I remember. God gave us orders and we, all of us forgot them.” 

“What do you mean? We’ve been following the Plan.” Gabriel spat.

“Who wrote that Plan, Gabriel? Was it truly Her? Or did we hear about some Great Plan and some prophecies and take it as Her word?” Michael asked him, begging him to think, to provide an answer she did not have.

“The last thing She ever said to us was to Love them, Gabriel.” Uriel reminded both of them. “That was it. To Love them.”

Michael gazed at Uriel in shock. She remembered that. How could she have forgotten? Love them. Was that what Raphael had meant? She turned her head to look out at the still busy street. Love them. But… how? They were so flawed and weak. But, was that why Aziraphale and the demon had betrayed the Great Plan? Because they actually Loved them? Demons weren’t capable of Love. It’s what they had been saying since they Fell. Demons don’t Love and Angels do nothing but. 

“Impossible.” Gabriel said. “Of course we love them. Angels love everything.”

“Obviously not, Gabriel, you hate Aziraphale and Crowley after all.” Uriel said as Michael sat back against the bench. She was getting a headache. 

“Gabriel. Is it just that they stopped the War that makes you so angry at them?” Michael asked. 

“What?” Gabriel hissed turning around to look at her.

“Why are you so bitter and angry at them? Simply because they averted the War?” Michael asked again.

“I am angry… yes because they averted the War, and because they somehow avoided punishment, and… they… I’m just angry ok. They betrayed everything we are supposed to stand for. They betrayed their Purpose.” Gabriel ranted and stood angrily pacing.

“Gabriel, please calm down.” Michael said calmly. “Do not let your emotions get the best of you. I fear for you like this, Brother.”

“As do I. God has not taken exception with their actions. We must conclude that She allowed it to happen as it was meant to be. The Great Plan cannot be known to us. It is not our place to question how things turned out.” Uriel added, voice steady but eyes tracking Gabriel’s nervous path.

Gabriel gave a quiet roar of rage and stalked off into the night.

“Gabriel,” Uriel called out jumping up. 

“Leave him be, Uriel. He needs to come to his own terms with our Brothers’ actions.” Michael reached out to pull them back to sit with her. “Tell me more about how we should Love the humans because I do not understand it. They are so fragile and corruptible.”

“I don’t know how. But I remember that is the last thing She ever said to any of us before She cast them out. She wanted us to Love them. And She never told us to stop.”

“So we must assume She wants us to still Love them.” Michael nodded. “I agree. Will you join me in watching the stars, Uriel, or would you rather walk? Let Gabriel to his anger for now. He will regain himself. He must. For everyone’s sake.”

“I will sit with you, Sister. And then we must learn how to Love them like She Loves them. Or at least, like Aziraphale and the demon Love them.” Uriel replied as they made themself comfortable on the bench their arm entwined with Michael’s. 

“Yes, like a demon does.” Michael agreed nodding her head. 

“It may take a while.” Uriel said hesitantly.

“Yes.” Michael agreed. 

“We may need to act like humans.”

“Yes, we may. We shall not Fall into sin. I believe in us. I understand you are Chastity but small tastes of the world will not make you less chaste. Do not fear. All things in moderation.” Michael told them earnestly.

Uriel nodded. “I fear it may take us too far from Heaven and our jobs.”

“Azriel and Raphael will take care of Heaven. And perhaps we could go back to Heaven but take the time to watch the humans like the Watchers do. And come down once in a while to see the humans up close. We will speak to the others. But we are dedicated to this?” Michael asked.

“We are dedicated. It would be nice to get back to my job.” Uriel admitted quietly. Michael nodded and they fell into contemplative silence until long after the stars had faded and the sun had begun to rise. 

Michael pulled out her phone and saying Raphael’s name put the softly glowing device to her ear. 

“Raphael, It’s Michael. I think I understand now. But I don’t know how.” She said softly. And waited to hear his voice speaking calmly to her. “Uriel is here with me at the park. We are beginning to understand but we don’t know how to Love them, Brother.” Uriel looked over to her as she paused. “Yes. We will meet with you.” She agreed. “In the lobby?” She asked. “Yes. We will be there.” She pulled the device away to see the soft blue fade until all that was left was the clear glass. 

“He will meet with us?” Uriel asked. 

“Yes, they have an idea they wish to discuss with us.” Michael told her and they stood together, their arms still linked as they made their way into the city and down the streets towards the Tower and Home. Reaching the Tower takes until the sun has risen completely and they enter to find Raphael and Azriel waiting with another angel. 

“Michael, Uriel,” Azriel greeted with a smile. “This is Mariel. She is a reporter with the Celestial Observer. She’s going to do an interview with our brothers Charity and Kindness.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mariel.” Michael said and Uriel nodded along in greeting. 

“It’s an honor to meet you as well, Archangels.” Mariel bowed slightly. 

“Just Michael is fine.” Michael corrected gently. 

“Uriel.” Uriel agreed. 

Mariel nodded her head in understanding. 

“I’m going to go with her. Why don’t you three head back up to Raphael’s office to talk?” Azriel suggested. 

“Yes. Let us know if you need any help.” Raphael said pointedly before smiling at Michael and Uriel and gesturing them ahead of him towards the escalators. Michael and Uriel stepped past him and onto the escalator heading up to Heaven followed closely by Raphael. 

It felt strange to Michael to be returning to Heaven like this after being sent away in the first place. The heights of Heaven seemed cold and blank after the bright colors of Earth and the constant buzz of activity in the city. The dichotomy made Michael’s head hurt and her ears echo in deafening silence. Her steps faltered slightly as she stepped onto the Archangels floor and saw the four additional doors in the circular cul-de-sac of a hallway. 

All four doors were closed and while two were of the typical silver the last two doors sitting next to each other in the middle were the most unique to be found in Heaven. Both were of wood, one fine-grained and nearly white blonde wood with a round frosted window inset in the middle of the door; the second door was dark, varnished red-black and instead of the name imprinted in silver on the door was a sigil shaped like a serpent. There was something wrong with the sigil though. Michael couldn’t put her finger on what but it looked like a bastardized version of Hellish script. Her eyes widened when she realized it wasn’t a demonic name but what would be the name Crowley in Angelic runes written in a Demonic script font. 

Raphael gently put his hand on Michael’s back startling her out of her inspection of the newest doors and gestured her and Uriel into the Archangel’s boardroom. They all sat around the round table that the Archangel’s used for meetings between themselves. 

“I understand you two are confused and angry and just a bit lost.” Raphael said.

“We aren’t angry. Not anymore. Just lost.” Michael admitted.

“We remember the Almighty’s orders but we don’t know how to follow them.” Uriel said. 

“None of us truly know how to follow our orders. We simply do our best. None of us were made for leadership. We each did what we thought to be right but we didn’t ask for the power that the angels gave to us.” Raphael said. 

“We would like time to watch the Earth and the Humans if we can reconcile our schedules to give us enough free time to go down to Earth.” Michael told him.

“I am glad that you want to do that. I know that Azriel and myself are going to be stepping up so we can spread the work around a little more. It isn’t shameful to ask for help.” Raphael reached forward to take their hands. “We will take some of the load so you can take breaks down on Earth. Let’s wait until we hear from Charity and Kindness about why they worked to save the Earth and we can decide what to do to learn to Love the Humans like they do.” 

“That seems like a good idea.” Uriel agreed. 

“Why don’t you take a walk through the Gardens or stop in at the Observation Halls. Be seen a bit by the Host outside of your offices.” Raphael suggested.

“And what do we say is the reason for our sudden appearance?” Michael asked hesitantly.

“Well, the War you have been working so hard to prepare for has been averted. You deserve a break from work. So tell them the truth. You are there to relax. You are permitted to do so. Even our minds get tired if not our corporations.” Raphael said gently.

Michael sighed and nodded. “Yes. I suppose you are right. I wish you had been able to tell us that before, Raphael.”

“So do I. But we cannot change the past. I only hope I have the chance to convince Gabriel of it as well.”

“He will come to. He must for the sake of the host.” Uriel said but by their eyes, not even they were convinced. 

The three of them sat in silence for several moments before Michael and Uriel stood and nodded to Raphael and leaving the room. Michael made her way to the doors leading out of the offices and to the rest of the Heavens. She stood hesitantly before steeling herself and walking out the door. There were no gasps or shouts in fact no one much remarked her passing as she walked sedately through the silver-lined streets and into the Gardens. She found a pond and sat as she had sat to watch the stars come out on Earth. She spread her eight wings and took to the ether above the Gardens and watched as the angels went about their day. It was peaceful above the rest of the host but soon she rejoined Uriel who had followed her on the ground and they stood together watching the angels passing by their bench. They still had a brother lost to them for the moment but they had renewed their dedication to Her orders.


End file.
